# Ethics of shopping at thrift stores **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-shopping-at-thrift-stores/1022510 "2025-08-26T21:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 61
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-shopping-at-thrift-stores/1022510/61 "2025-08-27T22:39:41Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > > [@ricepad](#): > > > > Not sure what you mean by pilfering. Everybody has equal access - to the extent they can elbow their way to the bin, that is. > > The bins are set to the side with signs that say “NO CUSTOMER ACCESS”. If you go digging through them before items are set out on the shelves, where the honest patrons purchase them from, I consider that pilfering. YMMV. ISTM @ricepad is talking about Goodwill outlet stores where the goods are set out for the cusomers in bins. The customers are expected to paw through the bins hunting their treasures. See also the recent phenomenon of Amazon return disposal stores, also called “bin stores”. See here for more: > [@Economics of Stores Selling Returned Amazon Goods?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economics-of-stores-selling-returned-amazon-goods/1019919): > > People buy a lot of stuff from Amazon (and similar) online stores. And they return a lot of stuff. For small items, I’ve read processing these returns can sometimes cost more than they’re worth. Over the last few years, a number of physical stores in cheaper malls largely selling what seem to be unwanted Amazon purchases have opened in my medium Canadian city. These use a novel pricing strategy for cheaper things. More expensive things are just sold at a fixed price, up to a 50% discount fr… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-shopping-at-thrift-stores/1022510)._